A Shoulder To Lean On

Shoulder injuries are common. Why? Because of improper exercise technique, say exercise experts at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and because people commonly over-train one or two deltoid muscles while neglecting others.

Strength-training routines are typically dominated by exercises that train only the front of the shoulder, which is actually comprised of three distinct muscles. So ACE looked into the most effective exercises for strengthening the overall shoulder and preventing injury.

The result? Researchers from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse shrugged their shoulders when asked to pick the top exercise. Results showed there is not one best exercise that completely works all muscles of the shoulders.

Instead, for best results, exercisers should perform the dumbbell shoulder press to target the front, and either the 45-degree incline row or the seated rear lateral raise for the rear. Ask your gym’s expert to show you these techniques.

69% of people will experience a shoulder injury at some point in their lives, according to the NIH.